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Old 04-13-2011, 05:59 AM   #1
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found alot of water in my fresh tank after sitting all winter....what to check?

i purchased my cherokee wolfpack over the winter from a local dealership. one of my questions while dealing with the salesman was "when did you get this unit in, and did you or the previous owner winterize it?" he wasnt sure so he went and had a chat with the sales manager. i saw them punching numbers on a computer for a couple minutes, then he returned saying that it was traded in last fall and the dealership winterized it. that gave me a little comfort in knowing that "joe shmoe" didnt incorrectly winterize it and i will have problems in the spring.

WELLLLL, today i was under the camper doing some wiring and for "some reason" i pushed up on the fresh tank with my hand. it was HEAVY. in my previous camper you could move that tanks around a bit when they were empty. so i took off the plug to drain the tank and about 30-50 gallons of water came out

obviously im going to call and have a chat with my local dealership where i purchased it, but what other things should i look for? there is a little bit of purple antifreeze in the toilet.....so i know something was done. but HOW do you winterize a camper and not drain the fresh tank? i am scared to fill it up with water, start pumping water, and pressure up the water lines. im thinking i may be in for some fun....
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Old 04-13-2011, 06:16 AM   #2
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I would tell your dealer about this. As far as the water system I would use air to check the water lines, but don't use high pressure!!! use around 40 PSI and that should tell you if you have leaks. Open and close all the faucets while you have the air hooked up. I would then check all of the traps under the sinks to make sure that those are ok. Once you think that the plumbing is OK hook up water to your RV and slowly turn the water on and check for leaks. Was the water heater drained? Check all the valves inside the RV (water heater bypass and any shut off valves) to make sure those are not cracked, also check the water filter housing. good Luck
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Old 04-13-2011, 06:30 AM   #3
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DO NOTHING until you contact the dealer and get this checked out. Sounds like the camper was not completely winterized by the dealer's maintenance department when it sat on the dealer's lot. There is most likely damage (maybe hidden) due to the water in the tank (elbows and such). You do not want to void any recovery chance.
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Old 04-13-2011, 01:04 PM   #4
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It may not be that bad but if you recently purchased it make the dealer deal with it. A quick pressure test with air can check for any major leaks. Sounds like someone did a lousy job winterizing it and didn't drain the fresh tank. Then just keep an eye on things for a while when under pressure with water.
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Old 04-13-2011, 05:01 PM   #5
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Like Herk said, DO NOTHING!! call the dealership first!
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Old 04-13-2011, 05:34 PM   #6
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X3 on what Lou Said - let the dealership deal with it since the sale guy told you it was winterized and apperently not correctly -
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Old 04-14-2011, 09:37 PM   #7
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well, im about 90 miles away from the dealer.....otherwise i would have hooked it up, dropped it off, and said "you figure out whats wrong". instead, i called and talk to the service dept (not my salesman....i wanted a straight answer ). i gave them my info so they could look up the unit i purchased, and they stated that one of their "prep" personnel winterized the camper. i asked what method they use at their dealership to winterize campers, and they use compressed air to blow out the lines. i dont have a problem with that because that is what i do too. he also said they had a jug of antifreeze on the ticket which was used to poor down the drains into the traps. i believe they did do this because there was purple residue in the toilet and the shower. also, the plug was pulled out on the water heater and the water filter housing was removed.....so im pretty sure they just forgot to drain the fresh tank. is it a big deal.....yes! but people make mistakes, i can live with that.

to make a long story longer.....the service rep i talked to said put some water to it and watch the lines. if i have problems, bring it back to them. so i figured i didnt have much to lose lol. the pluming system in my camper is very easy to follow, and most of it can be seen under the cupboards and in the front storage compartment (under the bed). so, i turned the pump on and crossed my fingers. i didnt find any leaks!

on a lighter note, it just started snowing out. FML i got the heater set at 50*, and the temp is only supposed to get down to the 27-30* area so im not too worried about it. as long as it isnt below 25* and/or the roads aren't icy.....I AM GOING CAMPING THIS WEEKEND
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Old 04-14-2011, 11:55 PM   #8
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howdy from Sask lol. We are getting the snow tonight to!

Also enjoy that flood thats headed your way! its almost pushing me out of trailer and home if it keeps going up. Water is about 1000ft from me now.
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Old 04-15-2011, 05:50 AM   #9
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howdy from Sask lol. We are getting the snow tonight to!

Also enjoy that flood thats headed your way! its almost pushing me out of trailer and home if it keeps going up. Water is about 1000ft from me now.
i dont have it too bad where i live in the mid-western part of the state. there are a couple rivers and creeks that run by me and through a bunch of me and my dads land, but none of them get close to the house. some people, however, are not so fortunate.

out in the eastern part of the state everything is flat. i was just out east last weekend to visit some friends, and it is a complete mess out there. since it's so flat, the water seems to have no place to go. the cities with rivers running through them have to build dikes......its a disaster. i saw houses along the road that damn near looked like they were on an island. its sad to see. sounds about like your situation...
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Old 04-15-2011, 10:01 AM   #10
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Hi Bocephus. Another possible reason that fresh water tank has water in it, is that there is a one way check valve between the city water hookup, and the fresh water tank that comes into play when dry camping, and using the tank. Otherwise, the city fill hookup would fill up the fresh tank every time you hooked up to pressurized water, and require draining every time you returned home. On my own unit, that check valve was leaking by pressure into the tank, and I noticed the same phenomenon; mysterious water in the fresh tank, that I KNOW I drained. That turned out to be the problem, and all is well now. Just a possibility!!! Randy
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Old 04-17-2011, 08:50 PM   #11
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Glad to here no leaks / make sure you clean the tank after have water setting for so long / i like to fill the tank about one quarter add some bleach/javex and take the tt for a little ride after I pump this sanitized water through everthing .
PS do this before you put in the new water filter if equiped
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